New York Giants

New York Jets, former Giants LB B.J. Goodson retires

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A fourth-round pick of the Giants in 2016, Goodson partook in seven special teams snaps for the New York Jets on Sunday.

New York Jets linebacker B.J. Goodson announced his retirement on Wednesday afternoon, ending a career bookended by stops with each of the metropolitan area’s football squads. Goodson signed with the Jets last week and partook in seven snaps on special teams during the Jets’ 25-6 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Goodson entered the league as a fourth-round draft pick (109th overall) of the Giants in 2016, hailing from Clemson. The Giants hosted his first three NFL seasons before trading him to Green Bay in exchange for a draft pick shortly before the 2019 season opener.

He tallied 251 tackles and four interceptions over six NFL seasons, which also took him to Cleveland. The Jets brought him in as an injury replacement for fellow interior linebackers Jarrad Davis and Blake Cashman, each of whom is out for the foreseeable future.

Goodson spent last season with the Browns and posted career-best numbers during the Cleveland playoff trek. He led the team with 91 tackles and six pass breakups (both career-highs) and also earned two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

The former Tiger also started each of the Browns’ two postseason contests last winter and tied with M.J. Stewart for the team lead with 10 tackles in Wild Card triumph over Pittsburgh, their first playoff victory since the 1994-95 campaign. Goodson appeared in five postseason games, including the Giants’ most recent visit in the 2016-17 Wild Card round.

The Jets, sans Goodson, will return to action this Sunday afternoon, hitting the road to take on the Denver Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

The New York Giants are making a smart move with Matt Peart plans

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New York Giants, Matt Peart

Going into the off-season, the New York Giants assumed that second-year offensive tackle Matt Peart would give veteran Nate Solder a run for his money at right tackle. After Solder opted out for the 2020 season due to COVID-19, Peart displayed signs of growth and adequacy as a rookie, but he lost out badly during the position battle for the starting job this pre-season.

In fact, Peart has only played 19 snaps this year, all of them coming in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. He allowed one QB hit and a pressure during that time, quickly being supplemented for Solder as the Giants ended the competition and gave the more experienced option the job.

However, the Giants aren’t giving up on the Connecticut product just yet, as they’re making a proactive decision to cross-train him at guard. This is a decision the former coaching staff failed to make with Ereck Flowers, forcing him to play left tackle despite significant issues. Peart, who stands at 6’7″ and over 300-pounds, would be a huge body in the interior. With superior athleticism, if he can develop his fundamentals, he could end up being an adequate option, which would be a definitive change in strategy.

Head coach Joe Judge indicated as much as Peart begins to earn reps with the second-team during practice at guard.

“We’re going to rotate Matt on through the tackle position,” Judge said. “We’ll kind of take a look at him maybe playing some stuff inside as we get going right here. We’ll kind of work around through practice these next few days and kind of see where things shake out.

I wouldn’t expect to see Peart starting at LG anytime soon, as the Giants have been Bredeson, for who they traded a fourth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens. While he’s shown flashes in run-blocking, his pass-protection has been spotty at best. He has allowed five hurries and five pressures over 100 snaps this year. The Giants started Center Nick Gates at left guard against Washington before he suffered a gruesome lower leg injury, forcing Bredeson into the starting spot.

Taking a more progressive approach toward Peart is a great move by the coaching staff and one that will hopefully pan out in the future. The Giants might try to sprinkle him in to get his feet wet against the Falcons, but unless something serious happens to Bredeson, I expect him to remain the starter moving forward.

New York Giants: Kenny Golladay explains week 2’s sideline argument

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new york giants, kenny golladay

One of the most talked about moments during the New York Giants‘ week 2 loss to Washington didn’t happen on the field. Rather, wide receiver Kenny Golladay would put attention on himself while on the sideline when he appeared to have an emotional outburst at either Daniel Jones or Jason Garrett. Jones would quickly stand up for Golladay in his comments after the game, but many still wondered about the situation and whether Jones was simply saying what was good for public appearances.

However, Golladay himself also claims that the burst of emotion on the sideline wasn’t directed at his quarterback. When asked about it on Monday, he said that it was aimed towards Jason Garrett and also denied the incident was over a lack of passes headed his way in big moments.

What did Golladay have to say on the matter?

“No, not so much that,” Golladay said when asked if his message was to get him the ball more. “Pretty much just me talking to JG a little bit and that’s two competitive guys right there. Moreso, just me wanting to do anything I can. Not so much, ‘Give me the ball more,’ though.”

“No, it’s not dealing with that,” the receiver further elaborated when asked if it was about mainly being thrown the ball on early downs.

Golladay was targeted 8 times but only had 3 receptions in the loss. His 38 yard performance was a step down from week 1 and served to fuel calls for the Giants to use their top weapons better.

While the sideline outburst brought some initial concern from the fanbase, many will be willing to look past it after learning it was directed towards Jason Garrett – Garrett, after all, has proven to be one of the least popular figures around the Giants this season.

With the way the season has started for the Giants’ new additions at receivers, it’s not that surprising that some frustration managed to come out towards the offensive coordinator. One can only hope that the offense continues to build on its improvements from the Washington game and that there’s no need for moments like this later in the season.

New York Giants need more from their pass-rushers

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New York Giants, Lorenzo Carter

The New York Giants are struggling through the first two weeks of the 2021 NFL season. The Giants are sitting low with an 0-2 record that places them at the bottom of their division. In 2020, the Giants’ defense was a top-ten unit. But this season, the team’s defense looks like a shell of its past self as opposing teams have picked the unit apart. One of the biggest issues for the Giants defensively is their pass rush.

The Giants need more from their pass-rushers

The New York Giants accumulated 40 total sacks in the 2020 regular season (T-12). The Giants accomplished this with a group of pass-rushers that lacked a big-name star entering the season. Interior defensive lineman Leonard Williams stepped up and earned a big contract with a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2020, but in 2021, Williams has not been able to record a sack yet through two games.

The Giants’ biggest pass-rushing problem, though, is on the edge. Edge rushers Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines, and Azeez Ojulari are not doing enough to help their team succeed.

Lorenzo Carter, the team’s primary pass-rusher, has yet to record a sack. Oshane Ximines, another veteran edge rusher, has also not recorded a sack through two games. Azeez Ojulari has managed to record 2 sacks, putting his rookie season off to a strong statistical start. Unfortunately, his struggles in run defense seem to be overshadowing his two sacks (one of which was a coverage sack, the other a cleanup).

Last year, Patrick Graham received great amounts of praise for his complex defensive scheme that disguised zone coverages and generated pressure with creative blitz packages. So far this year, the scheme looks completely changed. The new scheme does not seem to be working, either.

The Giants are allowing 413.5 yards per game through two weeks. They have faced Teddy Bridgewater and Taylor Heinicke. It’s not like the Giants are getting thrashed by elite, top-ten quarterbacks. But what do you expect when the opposing team’s passer has all day to throw? If the New York Giants want to turn things around on defense, they need to start generating some pressure on the quarterback.

Giants’ Daniel Jones showed flashes of franchise quarterback play, but what does he need to establish himself?

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been one of the most polarizing players on the team since being drafted in 2019. As the 6th overall selection, Jones had high expectations coming out of Duke, representing a quarterback with intriguing mobility and solid accuracy.

The major problem surrounding Jones has been his turnover issues, as he threw 22 interceptions during his first two seasons and fumbled 29 times. However, through two games this season, Jones has only fumbled once, not throwing an interception over 69 passing attempts. So far, he has thrown for 516 yards and two passing touchdowns but has also rushed for 122 yards and two rushing scores. He’s currently the teams leading rusher and is on pace for 4,352 yards, which would completely destroy his previous high of 3,027 yards.

In the team’s most recent loss to the Washington Football Team last Thursday, Jones was one of the best players on the field, carrying the Giants’ offense to 29 points on 22 completions for 249 yards and two total touchdowns. He would’ve ran for two scores, but a botched holding call on wide receiver CJ board resulted in the play coming back.

PFF graded Jones with a 91.3 overall in Week 2, the highest player in the game and the highest grade in his entire career. His adjusted completion percentage landed at 78.1%, including drops from receivers. In fact, in both weeks, his receivers dropped 12% of passes thrown, an unacceptable number. In addition, opposing defenses have curated 28 total pressures, showcasing his mobility and increased ball security. His only fumble happened outside of the pocket on a run up the middle. The growth and development he’s experienced over the off-season regarding ball security and pocket movement are clearly on display, as the offensive line remains a deficiency and Jones dominated against Washington regardless.

The OL has allowed a league-high six sacks, tied with only the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets. Of those three quarterbacks (Ryan Tannehill, Zach Wilson), Jones has the highest QBR, highest completion percentage, and most amount of yards.

The qualities that Jones has displayed through two weeks are convincing that he’s capable of being a franchise quarterback, but he needs to play consistently great to earn that term.

Specifically, he needs to perform well against teams not named Washington and crush opponents like the Atlanta Falcons coming up in Week 3. The Falcons have allowed 30+ points in each of their last two games, including 48 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Giants’ offense must display another strong performance, and if Jones can string together a few solid outings, the narrative around him will quickly begin to change in the Giants community.

New York Giants: Andrew Thomas’s season off to a stellar start

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants are 0-2 with a ton of negativity and pessimism surrounding the team. After the Giants’ Week Two Thursday Night loss, Giants fans are down in the dumps. A huge shadow of darkness has shrouded this team for the better part of three years now. However, every now and then, some glimpses of light shine through. One of those shining lights after two weeks of the 2021 NFL season is left tackle Andrew Thomas.

When Dave Gettleman was hired as general manager of the Giants in 2018, he vowed to fix the offensive line. In 2020, Gettleman made significant moves to deliver on that promise. Most notably, the Giants drafted Georgia left tackle Andrew Thomas with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Andrew Thomas’s rookie season was filled with inconsistency. Fans set the expectations high for the Giants’ top-five pick and he did not always deliver. However, he did flash great potential at times last season and looked forward to building on those good performances in 2021.

In the 2021 preseason, fans started to panic when Andrew Thomas struggled in the exhibition season’s finale. But after two weeks in the regular season, Andrew Thomas looks like a brand new player.

Andrew Thomas through two weeks

Andrew Thomas’s sophomore season is off to a strong start. To kick the year off, Thomas put together a top-notch performance against the Denver Broncos. On 43 pass-blocking snaps versus Denver, Thomas allowed 0 sacks (PFF). He also allowed only 2 pressuress in that game.

Andrew Thomas’s Week Two performance built on what he accomplished in Week one. Once again, Andrew Thomas allowed only 2 pressures in Week Two, this time on 38 pass-blocking snaps. Check out this phenomenal pass set below:

Daniel Jones seems to feel safe and comfortable with Andrew Thomas protecting his blindside. If he can continue to play at this level, Andrew Thomas will prove the doubters wrong and prove himself to have been a good selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

How should the New York Giants use Kadarius Toney moving forward?

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new york giants, kadarius toney

When the New York Giants drafted Kadarius Toney with the 20th overall pick, they added a versatile weapon on offense who could be used in many different creative ways. With gadget utilities and raw athleticism, Toney was one of the best receivers regarding missed tackles forced during his final year with Florida in 2020. He lead receivers in college last season with a 30% missed tackle rate, showcasing his strengths as he adapts to the NFL and finds his way into the Giants’ scheme.

However, the team has seldom used Toney, featuring him in just 24 offensive snaps through two weeks against Denver and Washington. He has only touched the football twice, both on design plays that failed to produce any positive gains.

The media quickly began to spin stories and rumors regarding his usage and the frustration that was boiling. Toney took to social media to express his emotions, later taking a shot at the media for starting a negative narrative.

However, the Giants are underutilizing Toney, who clearly could help on offense. Every team‘s first-round pick should have an instant impact unless you are developing a quarterback to take over for a veteran, in which case represents a different scenario. When drafting impact weapons on offense and skill position players, they need to be featured early and often to help them adjust to the physicality and speed of the game at the next level.

How the New York Giants can get Toney involved moving forward:

Toney is far more than just a gadget player, with solid route running and unique abilities in the open field. Some ways the Giants can get Toney more involved include using him as a punt returner and featuring him in bunch formations alongside Sterling Shepard in the interior. With Kenny Golladay also taking snaps from the slot, Toney could be pushed outside and supplement reps from Darius Slayton, who had a costly drop against Washington in Week 2, which ended up being the difference in the game.

Having dropped just four passes over four seasons with Florida, there’s no question he is a reliable target that can contribute toward a more efficient unit. Given the Giants scored just seven meaningful points in Week 1, they bounced back with a far more extensive and aggressive strategy against Washington, scoring 29 points. The Giants scored more than 29 points just once in 2020, so they’ve already gotten off to a decent start in context with Jason Garrett’s vanilla scheme.

There are two reasons the Giants might be holding back from unleashing Kadarius:

First, he could be dealing with an injury and recovering from Covid, so they want to take a more cautious approach with his health. Alternatively, the Giants are still developing their scheme and adding new elements every week, so perfecting the base concepts and expanding that route tree could be more prevalent in the short term. With Toney’s unique skill set, they might be waiting to add his qualities at the right time when the offense has momentum, and they’ve begun stringing together consistent performances with their more established players.

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney lashes out at media on Instagram

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new york giants, kadarius toney

So far, this season isn’t going as fans would have hoped for New York Giants draft pick Kadarius Toney.

While it looked like the Giants were getting a good value after trading down to take the player, they’ve had more problems than production from Toney so far and that has led to some of the receiver’s frustrations going public. This comes after the second game of the season, when the Giants not only blew the game but also failed to make use of their first round rookie.

After two games gone by, Toney has negative receiving yards and had no targets or receptions at all in his second appearance. He was only on the field for 8% of the Giants’ offensive snaps in his first game and 28% of their snaps in the second game.

It’s understandable that he’s frustrated with his usage by the coaching staff so far, but from the looks of things, Toney isn’t the best at choosing how to express those feelings.

Specifically, Toney took to Instagram where he responded to the criticism of himself by calling the media clowns.

Is Kadarius Toney heading towards problems?

While not everyone is a fan of the media, most can agree that coming out and openly attacking them on social media isn’t a wise move for a player in a major market like New York. Toney is already a controversial figure among the fans for the turbulent start to his career, and picking up a reputation early on as a diva wide receiver wouldn’t help his case in that regard.

Furthermore, this seems like something that can only end badly for a player coached by Joe Judge, who preaches discipline. Golden Tate, after all, landed himself out the lineup for one game last season in part because of his Instagram activity.

With Toney being outspoken so far about both the team’s usage of him and the media and fan narratives about him, it may be realistic to expect more controversy this season. At least, if the Giants don’t quickly figure out how to use Toney’s skillset and quell the concerns that they drafted a player in the first round just to sit him for most of the game.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones had best game of career on TNF, says PFF

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new york giants, daniel jones

The New York Giants suffered a demoralizing loss to the Washington Football Team on Thursday Night. The fanbase is down in the dumps and nearly every takeaway is negative. However, there is one glaring spotlight in the middle of this dark shadow: Daniel Jones.

Daniel Jones was dialed in last night and turned in arguably the best single-game performance of his NFL career so far. This was encouraging considering the mediocre level of play the Giants got out of their quarterback in Week One. Jones was dealt plenty of criticism after the season opener and responded with authority in Week Two.

According to Pro Football Focus, this was by far the best game of Daniel Jones’s career. The third-year quarterback seemed to come into his own against his division rivals on primetime.

Daniel Jones earns an elite PFF grade in Week Two

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones earned an elite grade from Pro Football Focus for his Week Two performance. While his box score stat-sheet might not be too crazy, it does not tell the full story. Jones threw for 249 yards and 1 touchdown with a 69% completion percentage. The box score, however, does not take into account the dropped passes that Danny Dimes delivered on target.

PFF gave Daniel Jones the best grade of his career (91.3) in Week 2 and it’s not particularly close. Jones was also the highest-graded player on Thursday Night Football with that 91.3 overall grade. Such a high-graded performance might land Daniel on PFF’s Team of the Week after the Sunday-Monday games finish.

Also according to PFF, Daniel Jones’ average depth of target was 11 yards in Week Two. This ADOT would have been the highest amongst all NFL quarterbacks in Week One (excluding Jordan Love). Daniel Jones and the Giants’ offense played mightily conservative in Week One and seemed reluctant to throw the ball downfield. But, in Week Two, Daniel Jones played with much more aggression, from which the Giants’ offense benefited greatly.

This game gave the Giants a glimpse of what Daniel Jones could become. The team hopes he proves to be a franchise quarterback. If Jones can play like this on a consistent basis, he might prove to be what the Giants hope he is. He also led the team with 95 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown on 9 carries. Daniel Jones carried the Giants’ offense in the best game of his career despite a heart-breaking last-second loss.

New York Giants: Steve Smith calls for increasing Saquon Barkley’s role

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants running game hasn’t been anything special this season so far. Saquon Barkley made it back by week 1, but it still remains to be seen if his knee is strong enough to keep up with the NFL game after a long recovery process.

After the first two games, Barkley’s numbers have been anything but impressive. He rushed for 57 yards in the Thursday Night Football loss, but the majority of those yards came on a single big run for 41 yards at once. Outside of that run, Barkley didn’t look like the generational prospect the Giants expected from his college tape and healthy rookie season.

With that being said, not everyone blames Barkley himself for his struggles. The Giants have been cautious in utilizing him, and many have accused the coaching staff of not giving him enough touches or being creative enough in getting him the ball. Those critics include former Panthers receiver Steve Smith, who believes the Giants need to put the ball in Barkley’s hands more before a judgement can be made about his explosiveness.

“We will never find out if Saquon Barkley is getting his explosiveness back if all you are doing is sitting back and throwing the ball,” Smith told the New York Post.

“They didn’t do a good job of getting him in rhythm — and this is a wide receiver talking about getting the running game going. It really limited to see how much explosiveness he had or didn’t have. When you drop and throw the ball as much as they are trying to do, it makes things very difficult to judge.”

Should the Giants use Barkley more?

It looks like the Giants might be taking a cautious approach with Barkley to protect him from the risk of reinjury.

However, the current strategy hasn’t done much to inspire confidence in the running game. A common point brought up about the loss to Washington is that the Giants could have ran the clock out while they had a lead, if they were more confident in their ability to move the ball on the ground.

If the Giants really want to get the expected value out of Barkley, they’ll have to get the ball in his hands more. It’s unknown whether having more touches would improve the running back’s numbers. But with the team 0-2 and public sentiment at a low point, the Giants don’t have very much to lose from trying it out.

After all, focusing on the passing attack just hasn’t worked out two weeks in. Even after having what may be his best game, Daniel Jones was unable to lead the Giants to victory on his own after the running game failed to make much happen.